Use of recycled packaging in polymer composite products

ABSTRACT

A polymer composite and its method of manufacture using a recycled multilayer material. An example of the recycled multilayer material is comprised of a polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum film that may be extruded with organic filler to obtain desirable performance in wood-substitute products such as deck boards, railing, fencing, pergolas, residential cladding/siding, sheet products, and other applications.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/830,823, filed Aug. 20, 2015, which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/017,503, filed Sep. 4, 2013, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/696,476, filed Sep. 4,2012, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally tocomposite products and related methods for manufacturing such products.Composite materials can offer many benefits as compared to naturalmaterials such as wood. However, despite many years of development,there is still a need to improve the formulation, manufacturing, andresulting characteristics of composite materials.

Many composite products are made from virgin materials. However, virginmaterials may be in limited supply and/or costly. Thus, there is a needto use at least a portion of recycled material in the formulation of acomposite. There is also a need to use at least a portion of recycledmaterial for sustainability reasons and also to potentially earn LEEDpoints.

There is also a need to be able to incorporate a wider range ofmaterials into the composite. The ability to use a broader range ofmaterials (including materials such as lubricants, processing aids,etc.) may facilitate the manufacturing of composite products due to theincreased availability of suitable materials. For example, it may bedesirable to use different types of recycled material includingmaterials with multiple polymer, filler, and additive materials withinthe recycled material construction, which may not be an option withtypical composites. For another example, one particular material in amultilayer construction may be most important, yet it is still desirableto be able to incorporate the other materials in the multilayerconstruction to allow for more flexibility in material selection. Inaddition, the increased availability of suitable materials may help tocontrol the cost of the composite product.

A drawback of typical composites using recycled materials is that thephysical characteristics of the composites may lack in comparison to thesame composites made with virgin materials. For example, characteristicssuch as coefficient of thermal expansion, modulus of rupture, modulus ofelasticity, moisture sensitivity, peak load, and other mechanicalcharacteristics may be adversely impacted by the use of recycledmaterials in many common composites. With respect to decking productssuch as deck planks and rails, the reduction of such characteristics maylead to increased sagging or other types of deterioration. Accordingly,there is a need to be able to use recycled materials and still maintainthe same or similar physical characteristics relative to comparablevirgin materials.

Additionally, there is a need to improve the manufacturability ofcomposite materials to obtain desirable products. For instance, the useof recycled materials may impact the extrudability of the compositematerial. It may also limit the adhesion of a cap layer to a substrate.

Furthermore, when exposed to the sun, composite materials can become hotto the touch, especially relative to natural wood. As such, there is aneed to transfer heat away from a surface of a composite product and/orminimize the static charge of a composite material. In particular, thereis a need to transfer heat away from or otherwise cool the surface ofcomposite decking and railing components.

Present exemplary embodiments may satisfy some or all of theaforementioned needs. An exemplary embodiment may use recycled packaging(e.g., juice pouches or other types of aluminized packaging) or othertypes of multilayer materials (e.g., films) in the production of apolyethylene, polypropylene, other olefin, or ionomer composite toobtain one or more of the aforementioned advantages. Another example mayinclude metal filler in a composite, which may assist with transferringheat away and/or dissipating a static charge from the surface of acomposite product. Yet another embodiment may include polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). Thus use of PET may, for example, effectively actas a compatibilizer to allow for the incorporation of a wider range ofmaterials into the composite. In some embodiments, PET may also improvethe adhesion of a capstock layer to a substrate. Accordingly, examplesof recycled packaging or other multilayer materials may include PETand/or a metallic layer such as may be found in recycled beveragepouches or other liquid containers. While PET may be particularlybeneficial, other embodiments may include another polyester instead ofor in addition to PET. Further embodiments may include improvements inthe incorporation of other ingredients and/or in processing conditionsto facilitate manufacturing of the aforementioned composites that havethe same, similar, or improved physical characteristics relative to acomparable control.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the inventors have overcome adifficulty in using recycled materials, particularly multilayermaterials such as recycled packaging (e.g., juice packs and other typesof aluminized packaging). Multilayer materials are often for a singleuse and disposable, which places a burden on landfills that are nearlyfilled to capacity. In fact, The Freedonia Group has estimated thatapproximately one-third of all municipal solid waste in the UnitedStates consists of discarded packaging. As such, there is a need to beable to reuse discarded packaging, particularly multilayer plastics.

In many multilayer materials, the combined polymer layers are beneficialfor packaging such as for barrier properties, but are difficult tore-utilize. Multilayer recycled plastics cannot be readily separatedback into the individual components such as high density polyethylene.In the combined form, certain layers melt at different processtemperatures than other polymer layers, and some layers such as analuminum coating do not melt at all at polymer processing temperatures.There has thus been a difficulty in recycling multilayer plastics (e.g.,flexible packaging) due to the combination of different materials in thelaminate. Enval, which is based in the United Kingdom, usesmicrowave-induced pyrolysis technology to separate laminate materialsinto the individual components. However, this technology is costly,time-consuming, and requires an undesirable amount of energy to achievethe separation of the individual components.

In view of these difficulties, it is surprising that the inventors haveidentified a class of materials and, for example, a particularcombination of polyethylene/PET/aluminum film and other polyethylene,polypropylene, olefin, and ionomer multilayer materials, that may beextruded successfully and also provide desirable performance inwood-substitute products that may be used, for example, in deck boards,railing, fencing, pergolas, residential cladding/siding, and otherapplications.

In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, otherbenefits will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of thedrawings and exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of acomposite product of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of another exemplary embodiment of acomposite product of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a railsystem of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a fencesystem of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a pergola ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S)

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to compositematerials and products and related methods of manufacturing. Anexemplary composite material may include at least one of polyethylene,polypropylene, other olefin (e.g., polyolefin), or ionomer. Otherexemplary embodiments may include at least one of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and metal filler. In particular, one embodiment of acomposite may include polyethylene, PET, and metal with recycledpackaging (e.g., used beverage pouches, other liquid containers, orother aluminized packaging). Other types of used multilayer packaging orfilms comprising at least one of the aforementioned materials may alsobe used. For example, other multilayer packaging or films, not limitedto beverage pouches such as juice packs, other liquid containers, oraluminized packaging, may be used. While the use of recycled materials(e.g., polyethylene, PET, and metal) may be particularly beneficial toreduce cost or increase material availability, virgin materials may alsobe used unless expressly set forth otherwise. As aforementioned, PET mayincrease the polarity of an exemplary embodiment of the composite,thereby enabling a wider range of materials to be incorporated into thecomposite. In effect, PET may act as a compatibilizer for othermaterials. PET may also enhance the heat distortion temperature, whichmay be beneficial for reducing sagging. In sum, PET may offersubstantial benefits, particularly in a polyethylene composite. However,other exemplary embodiments described herein may not include a polyesteror may incorporate another polyester instead of or in addition to PET.On the other hand, the use of metal filler in an exemplary embodiment ofthe composite may assist with transferring heat away from the surface ofthe composite, such that the composite does not feel as hot relative toa comparable product when exposed to the sun. The metal may also serveto dissipate a static charge from the surface of the composite.

In one exemplary embodiment, recycled packaging (e.g., beverage pouches)may be 100% substituted for virgin or recycled polyethylene (e.g., highdensity polyethylene or HDPE), polypropylene, other olefin, ionomer, oranother suitable polymer in a composite. However, in other exemplaryembodiments, recycled packaging may be partially substituted for virginor recycled polyethylene or another suitable polymer in a composite.Also, as previously mentioned, other types of suitable multilayermaterials (e.g., various films or other liquid containers) may be usedin the foregoing embodiments in place of recycled beverage pouches.

An example of recycled packaging (e.g., juice pouches) or othermultilayer film or materials may be comprised of at least one recyclestream such that the recycled packaging is comprised of polyethylene(e.g., HDPE) in an amount of about 70-92% by weight, more preferablyabout 75-90% by weight, and still more preferably about 75%-85% byweight; PET or another polyester in an amount of about 1-20% by weight,more preferably about 5-15% by weight, and still more preferably about5-12% by weight; and metal (e.g., aluminum) in an amount of about 1-20%by weight, more preferably about 3-15% by weight, and still morepreferably about 3-12% by weight. For instance, different recyclestreams and/or different types of multilayer materials may be mixed foruse in some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Examples ofother metallic species include, but are not limited to, magnesium (Mg),silicon (Si), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), copper (Cu),steel, and metallic carbonates such as calcium carbonate. In anexemplary embodiment, one particularly useful recycled juice pouch iscomprised of HDPE in an amount of about 75-85% by weight, PET in anamount of about 8-12% by weight, and aluminum in an amount ofapproximately 8-12% by weight. In an exemplary embodiment, one or moreother metallic species such as, but not limited to, steel, copper,magnesium, silicon, calcium, titanium, iron, and metallic carbonatessuch as calcium carbonate, may respectively be included in an amount upto about 2% by weight. Other types of multilayer materials comprising atleast one of polyethylene, polypropylene, other olefins, or ionomer(e.g., SURLYN™ by Dupont) may be used. Examples of recycled packaging orother multilayer materials may include at least one of polyester (e.g.,PET) and metal. PET may be particularly beneficial when used incombination with polyethylene. However, as aforementioned, someexemplary embodiments may include other types of polyester instead of orin addition to PET.

In light of the aforementioned materials and content of an example ofrecycled packaging, particularly a recycled juice pouch, an exemplaryembodiment of a composite may be comprised of the following ingredientsby weight:

organic filler 40-60%, more preferably 45-55% inorganic filler 0-25%,more preferably 10-20% lubricant 1-10%, more preferably 3-8% recycledpackaging 20-60%, more preferably 20-35% coupling agent 0-5%, morepreferably 0-4%In lieu of recycled packages, other multilayer films or applicable(e.g., virgin or recycled) portions of at least one of polyethylene,PET, and metal may be used. For instance, another example may comprise apolymer in addition to the recycled packaging. One such exemplaryembodiment may be comprised of the following ingredients by weight:

polyethylene 10-30% organic filler 40-60%, more preferably 45-55%inorganic filler 0-25%, more preferably 10-20% lubricant 1-10%, morepreferably 3-8% recycled packaging 10-30% coupling agent 0-5%, morepreferably 0-4%Other examples of recycled packaging may include at least one ofpolypropylene, other olefin, or ionomer. Also, some exemplaryembodiments may include polypropylene, other olefin, or ionomer as areplacement for all or a portion of polyethylene. In addition, someexemplary embodiments may not include at least one of PET and metal.

The inventors have discovered that the use of recycled material,particularly multilayer material such as from recycled beverage pouchescomprising polyethylene, polypropylene, other olefin, and/or ionomer, aswell as polyester (e.g., PET) and/or metal, may cost effectivelysubstitute for plastic and organic filler (e.g., wood flour) incellulosic composites. Reducing the total percent of wood flour contentimproves moisture-related properties in the composite because lessmoisture will absorb into the composite for any given temperature andhumidity exposure level. Another benefit is the reduction of swellingof, for example, deck boards, which have a tendency to end swell orflare at the ends.

The inventors have also discovered that 1) pre-drying the cellulosicfiller and the multilayer material; 2) using coupling agent; and/or 3)using higher processing temperatures may facilitate the optimization ofthe properties of the composite (e.g., to obtain properties that are thesame, similar, or improved relative to a comparable product comprisingpolyethylene, polypropylene, other olefin, or ionomer instead ofrecycled multilayer materials). For some embodiments, examples ofeffective coupling agents include olefinic maleic anhydride typecoupling agents such as, but not limited to, CHEMTURA POLYBOND™.

In one example of a full size deck plank comprising a core of acomposite of the present invention that was coextruded with a cellulosiccomposite outer shell, the use of recycled packaging in combination withvirgin polyethylene for the core, provided the following results inTable A:

TABLE A Peak Load (lbf) MOR (psi) MOE (psi) Min 598 2857 531709 Max 6563133 647858 Avg 631 3013 572209 Std. Dev. 14 67 22986 CoV 2.2% 2.2% 4.0%The test results for a similar control (with recycled polyethylenesubstituted for the recycled packaging) are shown below in Table B:

TABLE B Peak Load (lbf) MOR (psi) MOE (psi) Min 608 2903 545510 Max 6453079 619097 Avg 622 2973 572640 Std. Dev. 10 50 22481 CoV 1.7% 1.7% 3.9%By comparing Table A to Table B, it can be seen that the results forpeak load, modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR) foran exemplary embodiment of the invention are similar to the results fora comparable control. It was also found that processing temperaturesthat are about 10-30° F. higher than typically used for the control mayoptimize the properties of the composite relative to the control. Forinstance, in one example, the use of processing temperatures that wereabout 20 degrees higher (e.g., 350-370° F.) than used for the control(e.g., 330-350° F.) improved the coefficient of thermal expansion to besubstantially similar to that of the control. Furthermore, the use ofinorganic filler (e.g., metal) improves the stiffness of the composite,and the use of glass fibers as an inorganic filler may also improvemechanical properties.

In other examples with no outer shell, wood plastic composite (WPC) bars(having smaller dimensions than the full size deck board of the priorexample) yielded the following flexural test results relative to acontrol:

SAMPLE COMPOSITE Peak Load (lbf) MOR (psi) MOE (psi) Virgin HDPE and 722,443 391,085 Recycled PE (control) Recycled Juice 53 1,654 325,826Pouches Recycled Juice 67 2,302 383,941 Pouches with 2% Coupling Agent

A particularly useful example of a metal filler is aluminum. Aluminum iscommonly used in multilayer materials such as for beverage pouches. Inexemplary embodiments, other types of metal may also be used, including,but not limited to, iron, steel, copper, magnesium, silicon, calcium,titanium, and metallic carbonates such as calcium carbonate.

Organic material (e.g., cellulosic material) may be virgin or recycled.One example of organic material that may be used is wood flour. Otherexamples of organic material include sawdust, newspapers, alfalfa, wheatpulp, wood chips, wood fibers, wood particles, ground wood, flax, woodflakes, wood veneers, wood laminates, paper, cardboard, straw, wheatstraw, cotton, rice hulls, coconut shells, corn cobs, peanut shells,bagasse, plant fibers, bamboo fiber, palm fiber, carbon fiber, kenaf,jute, and other similar or suitable materials.

Any of the wood examples may be hard or soft wood or variations thereof.Furthermore, any desired mesh size of the cellulosic material may beused. With regard to wood flour, an exemplary range of mesh size isabout 10 to about 100 mesh, more preferably about 20 mesh to about 80mesh depending on the desired characteristics of components fabricatedusing exemplary embodiments of the composite material.

Inorganic fillers may be substituted for all or a portion of thecellulosic filler material. Inorganic fillers typically do not requirethe special processing or molding conditions necessitated by the use ofcellulosic materials. The use of inorganic fillers may allow for acomposite material having a greater bulk density and may permit higherrates of extrusion than a composite material that includes onlycellulosic material. Inorganic fillers may also allow the aggregate tobe molded into articles having reduced moisture sensitivity and reducedflame and smoke spread, while at the same time enhancing mechanicalproperties. Talc may provide particularly beneficial results as aninorganic filler. Other examples of inorganic fillers include mica,glass fibers, calcium carbonate, kaolin clay, magnesium dioxide,titanium dioxide, silica, barium sulfate, and wollastonite. Asaforementioned, glass fibers may be particularly useful for enhancingthe mechanical properties of an exemplary composite.

An exemplary embodiment of a composite material may also include otheringredients such as cross-linking agents, blowing agents, foamingagents, foam modifiers, lubricants, coupling agents, stabilizers,accelerators, inhibitors, enhancers, compatibilizers, thermosettingmaterials, weathering additives, rubber, colorants, process aids, andstreaking materials.

Cross-linking agents may be added to exemplary embodiments of thecomposite material to improve the properties of some exemplaryembodiments. Cross-linking agents may include thermosetting materialssuch as polyurethanes (e.g., isocyanates), phenolic resins, unsaturatedpolyesters, and epoxy resins. The use of cross-linking agents may, forexample, reduce moisture absorption and increase the strength ofcomponents manufactured from the composite material.

While one embodiment of a composite material may be used in fabricatingarticles of solid construction, another embodiment of the compositematerial may be used in fabricating articles of foamed construction.Foaming or blowing agents as well as foam modifiers may be added to anexample of the composite material to produce a foamed component, ifdesired. Because a composite material that produces a foamed componentuses significantly less polymer (plastic) material than asimilarly-sized solid component, both the cost of the composite materialand the components manufactured therefrom may be reduced. The use of afoaming or blowing agent as well as foam modifiers in lieu of a solidmaterial also allows for produced components of a reduced weight.Examples of foam modifiers include acrylic foam modifiers and othersuitable foam modifiers. A blowing agent may be an endothermic orexothermic blowing agent.

Depending on the result desired in fabricated components, othermaterials may also be added to exemplary embodiments of the compositematerial. For example, stabilizers such as tin stabilizers, lead andmetal soaps such as barium, cadmium, and zinc, and other suitablestabilizers may be added to the composite material to help prevent thebreakdown of the plastic material during processing. Other materials,such as accelerators, inhibitors, enhancers, compatibilizers, andcombinations thereof may be used to affect the bonding, or rate ofbonding, of the individual components fabricated using exemplaryembodiments of the composite material. Other process aids, such as, forexample, acrylic process aids, may be included in exemplary embodimentsof the composite material to aid in the fusion during fabrication ofcomponents using an exemplary composite material or otherwise enhancethe properties of components fabricated. Dow K-120N and Dow K-175 areexamples of acrylic process aids that are available from Dow Chemical.

During the component fabrication process, using exemplary embodiments ofthe composite material, both internal and external lubricants may beused to aid in the molding process. Examples of lubricants include zincstearate, calcium stearate, esters, amide wax, paraffin wax, andethylene bis-stearamide. Lubricants may be included in the exemplaryembodiments of the composite material to assist the processing of thecomposite material through an extruder, compounder, or other processingdevice and to help facilitate mold release.

Examples of weathering additives include titanium dioxide and otherultraviolet absorbers. Ultraviolet absorbers also include organicchemical agents such as benzophenone and benzotriazole types.

Streaking materials may be added to exemplary embodiments of thecomposite material to enhance the natural-grain appearance of somecomponents. In some exemplary embodiments, the streaking polymer and thebase plastic material may be substantially the same polymer or differentpolymers. For example, in one embodiment, a composite crystallinepolymer and a non-amorphous streaker polymer may be substantially thesame or different polymers.

An exemplary embodiment of a composite material may be used to producecomponents by any of the traditional molding means, including, but notlimited to: extrusion, pultrusion, compression molding, and injectionmolding. In an exemplary manufacturing method, recycled packages may beshredded, cut, or otherwise formed into relatively small particles tofacilitate incorporation into the composite. For example, recycledbeverage packages may be shredded prior to introduction into anextruder. In another exemplary embodiment, recycled packages (e.g.,juice pouches) may be shredded and then melt extruded and pelletized forlater introduction into a compound extruder to produce an article orproduct (e.g., deck planks). In yet another example, the entirecomposite, including recycled packaging, may be pelletized for laterintroduction into an extruder.

FIG. 1 shows an example of one embodiment of a deck component 10. Inthis example, the deck board 10 is comprised of a substrate (i.e., core)12 and a cap layer 14. FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a deck board20 comprised of a substrate (i.e., core) 22 and a cap layer 24. Each ofthese layers may be comprised of a composite of the present invention.However, in the example of FIG. 1, only the substrate 12 is comprised ofa composite of the present invention. For one example, the substrate 12may be comprised of at least polyethylene and PET as previouslydescribed. As another example, substrate 22 also includes metal filler26 as previously described.

In one exemplary embodiment, the cap layer may be a polyolefin-basedmaterial that has enhanced resistance to degradation and scratching. Instill another exemplary embodiment, the cap layer may include acellulosic material and/or a streaker material. A cap layer may also bea material as described herein.

One exemplary embodiment of a cap layer may be made from a plasticmaterial, which may, for example, be comprised of a blend of two or morepolymers. In particular, any number of polymers may be used to obtain ablend having desirable weathering characteristics. For instance,examples of a blend include, but are not limited to, polyethylenecompounds, polypropylene compounds, olefin compounds (e.g., ionic olefincompounds), ionomers, and other similar or suitable alloys, compounds,and mixtures having desirable weathering, aesthetic, degradation, and/ordurability characteristics. In other exemplary embodiments, a suitablecomposite may be used as a cap layer. An example of a composite may becomprised of polyethylene, polypropylene, other olefins, ionomer, or anyother similar or suitable plastic.

In an exemplary embodiment, a polyethylene, polypropylene, olefin, orionomer compound or mixture may be useful for making a cap layer havingdesirable resistance to scratching and/or to degradation such as may becaused by UV light or other environmental factors. For example, apolyethylene compound or mixture may include polyethylene in an amountbetween about 20% by weight and about 70% by weight. In still anotherexemplary embodiment, a polyethylene compound or mixture may includepolyethylene in an amount between about 20% and about 40% by weight.

Another example of a cap layer may be a composite or blend that has moredesirable aesthetic characteristics. An exemplary embodiment of acomposite may or may not be a blend of two or more polymers.Furthermore, as previously mentioned, an example of a composite or blendmay be comprised of polyethylene, polypropylene, olefin, ionomer, or anyother similar or suitable plastic. For instance, in order to obtain amore desirable appearance for some applications, exemplary embodimentsmay include a core of a composite of the present invention and a caplayer of an organic (e.g., cellulosic) composite or a cap layer thatdoes not include any organic filler (e.g., an olefinic capstock), whichmay, for example, be coextruded.

While FIGS. 1 and 2 show examples of a capped product, other examples ofa product made from a material of the present invention may not includea cap layer. In other words, other examples of products may have anexposed, uncapped construction. Additionally, other examples of productsmay have a hollow construction. The hollow construction may or may notinclude a cap layer.

In addition to deck boards, an exemplary embodiment of a compositematerial may be used for making other composite products such as, butnot limited to, other deck components, deck systems, rails, railcomponents, rail systems, fence components, fence systems, siding,siding components, siding systems, pergolas, pergola components, sheetproducts, and a number of other components. For example, FIG. 3 showsone embodiment of a rail system 30 that may be made. Other exemplaryembodiments of products that may be made include a fence system 40 suchas shown in FIG. 4 and a pergola 50 such as shown in FIG. 5. Variousother components may be formed by exemplary embodiments, includingvarious other planks and railing components including, but not limitedto, planks, posts, caps, top rails, support rails, universal rails,balusters, spindles, post sleeves, inside corner molding, and otherrailing components. Further components that may benefit from exemplaryembodiments of the composite material include planks, posts, siding,siding accessories, interior and exterior decorative house moldings,crown moldings, chair rails, baseboards, door moldings, partitions(e.g., bathroom partitions), picture frames, furniture components,window moldings, window components, window lineals, window frames, doorcomponents, door frames, roof components, fence posts, fence rails,floor components, and other suitable indoor and outdoor items. Inaddition, exemplary embodiments of the composite material may be used tomanufacture other types of products that are commonly made from wood,composites, metal, or plastic. Any of the aforementioned products may becapped or uncapped.

Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optionalor preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention.The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to beexhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Theexemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain someof the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in theart may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art willrealize that many variations and modifications may be made to thedescribed invention. Many of those variations and modifications willprovide the same result and fall within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a polymer compositeproduct, said method comprising: providing an extruder; providing atleast one first olefin; providing recycled metalized packagingcomprising: i) at least one second olefin in a total amount of 70-92% byweight; and ii) at least one metal in a total amount of 1-20% by weight;providing an organic filler; and in the same step, mixing and extrudingsaid at least one first olefin, said recycled metalized packaging, andsaid organic filler to form said polymer composite product comprised ofsaid at least one first olefin, said recycled metalized packaging, andsaid organic filler; wherein said recycled metalized packaging is in anamount of 20-60% by weight of said polymer composite product and saidorganic filler is in an amount of 40-60% by weight of said polymercomposite product.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least onefirst olefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene andpolypropylene.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one secondolefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene andpolypropylene.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one secondolefin is polyethylene and polypropylene.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein said at least one metal comprises aluminum.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein: said at least one first olefin is selected from thegroup consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene; said at least onesecond olefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene andpolypropylene; and said at least one metal comprises aluminum.
 7. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said polymer composite further comprises atleast one ionomer.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said recycledmetalized packaging is in an amount of 20-35% by weight of said polymercomposite.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step ofco-extruding a cap layer on said polymer composite.
 10. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said recycled metalized packaging further comprisespolyethylene terephthalate in an amount of 1-20% by weight.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein said polyethylene terephthalate is in anamount of 5-15% by weight.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said atleast one metal is in a total amount of 3-15% by weight.
 13. A methodfor manufacturing a polymer composite product, said method comprising:providing an extruder; providing at least one first olefin; providingrecycled metalized packaging comprising: i) at least one second olefinin a total amount of 70-92% by weight and ii) at least one metal in atotal amount of 3-15% by weight; providing an organic filler; andextruding said at least one first olefin, said recycled metalizedpackaging, and said organic filler to form said polymer compositeproduct comprised of said at least one first olefin, said recycledmetalized packaging, and said organic filler; wherein said recycledmetalized packaging is in an amount of 20-60% by weight of said polymercomposite product and said organic filler is in an amount of 40-60% byweight of said polymer composite product.
 14. A method for manufacturinga polymer composite product, said method comprising: providing anextruder; providing at least one first olefin; providing recycledmetalized packaging comprising: i) at least one second olefin in a totalamount of 70-92% by weight; and ii) at least one metal in a total amountof 1-20% by weight; providing an organic filler; and in the same step,mixing and extruding said at least one first olefin, said recycledmetalized packaging, and said organic filler to form said polymercomposite product comprised of said at least one first olefin, saidrecycled metalized packaging, and said organic filler; wherein saidrecycled metalized packaging is in an amount of 10-30% by weight of saidpolymer composite product and said organic filler is in an amount of40-60% by weight of said polymer composite product.
 15. The method ofclaim 14 wherein said at least one first olefin is in a total amount of10-30% by weight of said polymer composite.
 16. The method of claim 14wherein said at least one first olefin is selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.
 17. The method of claim 14wherein said at least one second olefin is selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.
 18. The method of claim 17wherein said at least one second olefin is polyethylene andpolypropylene.
 19. The method of claim 14 wherein said at least onemetal comprises aluminum.
 20. The method of claim 14 wherein: said atleast one first olefin is selected from the group consisting ofpolyethylene and polypropylene; said at least one second olefin isselected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene;and said at least one metal comprises aluminum.
 21. The method of claim14 wherein said polymer composite further comprises at least oneionomer.
 22. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step ofco-extruding a cap layer on said polymer composite.
 23. The method ofclaim 14 wherein said recycled metalized packaging further comprisespolyethylene terephthalate in an amount of 1-20% by weight.
 24. Themethod of claim 23 wherein said polyethylene terephthalate is in anamount of 5-15% by weight.
 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said atleast one metal is in a total amount of 3-15% by weight.
 26. A methodfor manufacturing a polymer composite product, said method comprising:providing an extruder; providing at least one first olefin; providingrecycled metalized packaging comprising: i) at least one second olefinin a total amount of 70-92% by weight and ii) at least one metal in atotal amount of 3-15% by weight; providing an organic filler; andextruding said at least one first olefin, said recycled metalizedpackaging, and said organic filler to form said polymer compositeproduct comprised of said at least one first olefin, said recycledmetalized packaging, and said organic filler; wherein said recycledmetalized packaging is in an amount of 10-30% by weight of said polymercomposite product and said organic filler is in an amount of 40-60% byweight of said polymer composite product.
 27. A method for manufacturinga polymer composite product, said method comprising: providing anextruder; providing at least one first olefin selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene and polypropylene; providing recycledmetalized packaging comprising: i) at least one second olefin in a totalamount of 70-92% by weight, said at least one second olefin selectedfrom the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene; and ii) atleast one metal in a total amount of 1-20% by weight, said at least onemetal comprising aluminum; providing an organic filler; and in the samestep, mixing and extruding said at least one first olefin, said recycledmetalized packaging, and said organic filler to form said polymercomposite product comprised of said at least one first olefin, saidrecycled metalized packaging, and said organic filler; wherein said atleast one first olefin is in a total amount of 10-30% by weight of saidpolymer composite product, said recycled metalized packaging is in anamount of 10-30% by weight of said polymer composite product, and saidorganic filler is in an amount of 40-60% by weight of said polymercomposite product.
 28. The method of claim 27 wherein said polymercomposite further comprises at least one ionomer.
 29. The method ofclaim 27 further comprising the step of co-extruding a cap layer on saidpolymer composite.
 30. The method of claim 27 wherein said recycledmetalized packaging further comprises polyethylene terephthalate in anamount of 1-20% by weight.
 31. The method of claim 30 wherein saidpolyethylene terephthalate is in an amount of 5-15% by weight.
 32. Themethod of claim 31 wherein said at least one metal is in a total amountof 3-15% by weight.
 33. A method for manufacturing a polymer compositeproduct, said method comprising: providing an extruder; providing atleast one first olefin selected from the group consisting ofpolyethylene and polypropylene; providing recycled metalized packagingcomprising: i) at least one second olefin in a total amount of 70-92% byweight, said at least one second olefin selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene and polypropylene; and ii) at least one metalin a total amount of 3-15% by weight, said at least one metal comprisingaluminum; providing an organic filler; and extruding said at least onefirst olefin, said recycled metalized packaging, and said organic fillerto form said polymer composite product comprised of said at least onefirst olefin, said recycled metalized packaging, and said organicfiller; wherein said at least one first olefin is in a total amount of10-30% by weight of said polymer composite product, said recycledmetalized packaging is in an amount of 10-30% by weight of said polymercomposite product, and said organic filler is in an amount of 40-60% byweight of said polymer composite product.